The O'Malley Brides (4 page)

“Are you okay
,
Rebecca?
” he asked solicitously, concern etched in his rugged face.  “Do you need me to call Mason?”

“No, I'
m fine,” Rebecca assured him as her eyes flitted uneasily between Rory and Tess.  Good Lord, not another one she thought.  There just could not be so many men in one area that believed in spanking their women. It was unheard of in this day and age
.  Mason and Nick were brothers, so it stood to reason they might hav
e this character flaw in common, but Rory too?  N
o way.  He was a detective for
God’s
sake, sworn to uphold the law
, protect
and serve.  Rebecca looked away, realizing she was staring
at Rory
in amazement only to find Molly blushing profusely.  Horrified by what she saw in Molly’s face she burst out, “Not you too?”

Molly slipped across the space between the seats quickly, taking Rebecca’s hand as she settled in beside her.  Rory and Patrick exchanged confused glances, but Rebecca ignored them.  If sweet funny Patrick spanked his wife, then there was no help for any of them.  Molly was
psychic
,
she had to see it coming.  Why didn’t she run
?

Molly
’s
laughter tinkled through the limo like crystal wind chimes on a summer breeze.  Why indeed?  Pushing the question out of her mind she concentrated on soothing Rebecca.

“No need to worry about anything Rebecca.  Everything is exactly as it should be,” she
murmured
, her voice as soft as angle wings.

“Somebody better tell me what
the hell’s going on in the next two seconds,” Rory’s voice boomed, making both Rebecca and Tess jump.  “Do I need to stop this car and call Mason? 
Rebecca
,
are you in pain
?
  Don’t try to be brave
,
Honey.   Just tell us so we can get some help.”

“Only in my ears,” Rebecca shot back
,
her green eyes flashing.  “They’re
all Neander
thals aren’t they?” she asked of
no one in particular
,
shaking her head in wonder. 

“Be still
,
Rory,” Molly instructed quietly. 
“
Rebecca’s fine, the baby is fine.  No need to call Mason at all.  We’ll be there in a few minutes and Mason will take care of his wife.”

Rebecca shot Molly a suspicious look.  Mason hadn’t spanked her since he found out she was pregnant, though Lord knows, he’d wanted too. 

Correctly interrupting the concern in Rebecca’s eyes, Molly hurried to reassure her.

“
No, of course not Sweetheart, don’t even fret about that,” Molly told her kindly.  “
But
the other thing...,” she whispered, “the white board.  That’s not going to work.  He has a hard copy.”

Rebecca gasped again.  She knew exactly what Molly was referring to.  Mason had a white board on the back of their closet door on which he kept track of what he considered "serious" infractions that Rebecca had committed during her pregnancy.  The intention was to let her know they would deal with these later.  Rebecca had a habit of ‘accidentally’ brushing against the board and removing several of these at a time. 

“For crying out loud, how do you live with her?”
Rory demanded of Patrick in frustration.  “I would spend the majority of my time beating my head against the wall or pulling my hair out.  No insult intended
,
Moll
y
.”

Molly laughed.
“None
taken
,
Rory.”

“I happen to love each and every succulent inch of her,” Patrick replied grinning lecherously.

“Oh God,” Tess moaned, holding a hand to her head and collapsing back against the seat.

Rebecca was too busy chewing on a fingernail and wondering where the hard copy could possibly be to comment.

The minute the limo
pulled up in fr
ont of
the
reception
hall, Tess scooted out, entered the building and made a beeline for the bar. 
Rory and
Patrick
helped Rebecca gently out of the vehicle and turned her over to a grateful Mason. 
At the last minute
,
Rebecca turned to Molly and embraced her.

“I’ll find it,” she whispered.  “Thank you.”

Molly nodded and slipped her arm through Patrick’s as they headed into the building.

“Find what?” Mason asked, bent slightly over his wife, his arm securely around her waist as he guided her forward.

“Oh…a book Molly wants to borrow,” she answered
,
distracted.  “Maybe it’s in the cellar, or even the attic.  I could always check the garage,” she continued, thinking aloud.

“No
,
you will not go digging through boxes searching for a book.” Mason informed her firmly.  “Tell me the title and author and
I’ll order one for her on online
.”

“This is a special book, Honey.  Priceless really,” she continued, nibbling on her fingernail again.  “I’m sure I can
find it before the six weeks are
up.”

Mason stopped and turned her towards him.  Both of his large hands were on her shoulders as he peered into her eyes.

“What does six weeks have to do with it
?”

“What?  Six weeks?” 
Shit, did I say that out loud? 
“Nothing, not
a thing
really.  I have to go to the ladies room.  Could we please get inside?”

Mason let it go.  It was obvious there was something she didn’t want him to know, but the way he figured it, he had at least six weeks to uncover it. 

Tess
was on her second straight shot
of tequila
by the time
Rory
found her and there was another one ready to go in front of her.

Leaning against the bar
,
Rory
spoke in a deceptively calm voice.
 
“Feeling better?” 

“Not yet, but I imagine I will be soon,”
Tess
answered sarcastically as she reached for the next shot.

Rory picked it up before her hand could close around it and handed it back to the bartender.
 
“
She’ll
have a coke and I’ll have a scotch on the rocks,”
he informed the young man who was taking in the ent
ire scene with poorly-
concealed interest
.

“I’ll have
tequila
,”
Tess
informed him smartly.  “I do believe this wedding is open bar.”

“Why, yes it is,” Rory answered smiling.  “
But unless you want to a repeat of this morning
, I suggest you s
top acting
so childish before I am
forced to embarrass us all
.”

Tess stared up into his face and fumed.  She had no doubt Rory would do ex
actly as he said and while she would
like nothing more
than
to thwa
r
t his
authority
.  S
he had no desire
to repeat this
morning’s
experience.

“Fine!” she finally answered, picki
ng up the coke the bartender placed
before her and stomping away toward the
dining
room with
Rory’s
throaty laugh ringing in her ears.

“
She’s
a
fiery
one,” the young man stated as
Rory
pulled off some bills and laid them on the bar.

“You have no idea,” he replied with a grin and followed her. 

Chapter 2

Tess spent most of the reception standing, although Rory did pull her to the
l
adies room and hand her the slip just before they sat down for the meal. 
Although not familiar
with the
music that
Maggie and Nick had chosen to go along with the vintage theme, she had to admit most of the songs were beautiful. 
She danced and smiled for pictures even going so far as to lay her head against Rory’s chest during the bridal dance as he guided her around the floor
to “The Way You Look Tonight.”
  It was wonderful being in his arms and she fought to hang onto her anger.
  Patrick and the ever graceful Molly danced to “Fly Me to the Moon” and brought the guests to their feet.
Bridget and her "
flavor of the
week,"
Mike
Something-Or-O
ther, rocked out to “Old Time Rock and Roll.”  All in all it would have been a lovely day if it hadn’t started so badly.

Tess made absolutely no attempt to catch the bridal bouquet
even though Maggie had all but thrown it at her.  The boys harassed Rory until he went to stand with the other single men and
after Rory
snagged the garter out of mid-air
,
she watched in frustration as he
slowly
slipped it high on the thigh of a perfectly lovely young woman.  The
teasing and lau
ghter that followed only made her
angrier and she made her way
back at the bar
, ordering
another shot.  Just as she tossed it ba
ck, s
he found herself pinned between the bar and an incredibly hard body.

“You just don’t learn, do you little girl?” R
ory’s voice rumbled in her ear
as his arm
wrapped around her, his big hand splayed across her abdomen and pulling her firmly back against him. 

Tess quivered as sparks shot through her body
.  In
a matter of seconds she was hot and wet.  Why this man affected her so she did
not know, but it made her furious
.   Reaching her hand up behind her she managed to grasp his tie and
yank his
head down beside hers.

“No, it is you who do not learn Mr. O’Malley.  I am a grown woman, not a little girl and you have no right to tell me what
to do,
”
she hissed.

Rory nipped
her ear with his teeth and laughed as he
easily
extracted hi
s tie from her
grip
. He
pulled her even tighter to him
,
enjoying her gasp as her soft body sagged in his arms.  The scent she wore wafted to him gently and he could feel her trembling as she fought for control. 

“Do you know what I think?” he whispered darkly.

Tess snorted.  “How could I when I
do not even know what I think at this moment
?
” she replied breathlessly.

“I think you liked being over my lap this morning and having your beautiful bottom set on fire,” Rory murmured before he began to kiss
her
neck as though
he had every right to do so.

Tess’s head snapped up and she struggled to get out of his arms.
 
“I think you are loco,” she spat, praying the bartender could not hear them from the other end
of the bar
. 
She knew her cheeks were aflame
,
just as she knew there was no way in hell she could make him release her if he did not want to. 

“Then w
hy are you trying to provoke me?
” Rory asked.  “I have given you plenty of warnings and yet you still insist on misbehaving.  I can only assume you need some attention and I am more than willing to give it to you.”

Tess wondered for a fleeting moment i
f he was right.  Had she returned to
the bar because she could not stand to see him dancing and laughing with another?  No!  She was back at the bar because she needed another drink and nothing more.

“I am not trying to provoke you,” she insisted, still trying to wiggle out of his arms and plant the heel of her tiny shoe into the arch of his foot, without much success.  “I am trying to get drunk.”